Temporal trend of food consumption indicators of adolescents monitored by Primary Health Care services of the Brazilian National Health System, 2015-2019.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the temporal trend of dietary practices of adolescents monitored in Primary Health Care from 2015 to 2019.

Methods: This is a time series study with microdata on adolescent food consumption markers (n=674,280 records, mean age: 14.9 [standard deviation: 3.0] years, 65.0% girls) held on the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System. Annual prevalence of each marker was calculated, in addition to the following indicators: combined consumption of beans, fruit, vegetables and greens; and ultra-processed food. Prais-Winsten regression was used to calculate the annual increase rate, according to sex, age group (10-14 years, 15-19 years) and macro-regions. Increasing or decreasing trends were denoted by a positive or negative annual increase rate with p-value<0.05.

Results: The prevalence rates of consumption of beans, fruit, vegetables and legumes in 2019 were 83.0%, 69.0% and 65.0%. The combined indicator of beans, fruit, vegetables and legumes was found in 48.0% of adolescents in 2019, with a rising trend in Brazil as a whole (annual increase rate: +4.0%, 95% confidence interval [95%CI 0.4; 6.6]), in the 15-19 age group and in the Southeast region. In 2019, markers of ultra-processed food consumption were frequent among adolescents (burgers and sausages: 45.0%, sugar-sweetened drinks: 65.0%, instant noodles/snacks: 46.0%, sweets: 55.0%). The prevalence of the ultra-processed food indicator in 2019 was 23.0%, with a rising trend nationally (annual increase rate: +7.0%, 95%CI 2.9; 11.7) and in the South and Southeast macro-regions.

Conclusion: Although some healthy indicators have increased, prevalence of ultra-processed food consumption among adolescents is high.